'We are absolutely not out of danger yet with the strong winds that continue to push through the city and the county today,' fire chief says
Fierce wildfires fueled by severe windstorms and bone-dry conditions spread rapidly across parts of north and northwest Los Angeles on Wednesday after claiming two lives and setting more than 1,000 homes, businesses and other structures ablaze.
The Palisades Fire remains the largest after being the first to erupt Tuesday, burning more than 3,000 acres as it continues to grow in and around the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood near the coast. Three other fires in the area -- the Eaton, Hurst and Woodley fires -- have burned nearly 3,000 more acres. They are located to the north and northeast of the Palisades Fire.
The Eaton Fire is the largest of the three smaller fires, and has torn through 2,227 acres. The Hurst Fire has burned over 500 acres while the Woodley Fire has consumed 75 acres.
All of the blazes are 0% contained with aircraft that would normally assist in firefighting efforts grounded across the region due to strong winds. The National Weather Service (NWS) has continued to raise the alarm about a "life-threatening and destructive windstorm in the area” that has combined with warm temperatures and very low humidity in the area to increase the risk of fire danger. A red flag warning has been issued, and a high-wind warning remains in effect through 6 p.m. local time (0200 GMT).
More than 70,000 Los Angeles area residents have been ordered to evacuate, officials said during a news conference.
"We want to make sure that everybody understands we are absolutely not out of danger yet with the strong winds that continue to push through the city and the county today," Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley told reporters. "Our first responders, our firefighters will remain focused on protecting lives and property."
US President Joe Biden has ordered the deployment of 4 US Forest Service Large Air Tankers, with another en route, as well as 10 federal firefighting helicopters to help combat the blazes, the White House said. Dozens of Forest Service fire trucks have also been prepositioned to aid firefighting efforts.
He is expected to attend a briefing from state fire officials at a fire station in Santa Monica, just south of where the Palisades Fire is burning.
